Your Ideas

[Özel Kuvvetler]

Hi everyone.
I am an ELT(English Language Teacher) in Turkey and actually I am a newbie scout leader. .I and my friends are trying to form a group of scouts consisting of high school students which we were graduated.
Due to expensive prices of camp equipments in Turkey, our only activity to do is going for a walk for 4 miles, cooking something, eat and return.
This summer we decided we are going to camp together, but most of our group members (sometimes even me) could not efford buy right equipment. In our territory weather is so cold even in summer and during the night, we have to have proper clothing and equipment avoid ilnesses.
To sum up, my idea is, opening a website about our experiences about these walking journeys and some articles that we will write about basic camping needs, some reviews etc. And by the help of this site, we are planning to get some Donations and Advertisement incomes.
Do you think it would work? or Do you think helping us by donating, sharing our website with other etc.
Your opinions are important for me.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Toddy]

Firstly, this might be a good thread to move into Leaders Chatter. That's the bit of the forum where the Scout leaders post threads, and I'm sure they would have good ideas that might help.

From a protocol point of view, go carefully about what's considered trawling from other websites for members/advertisers, it can cause offence.

Lastly.....how about a good think about what resources you actually have available among everyday stuff ?
Seriously.
Here, it's wet. It is always damp. We need either waterproof groundsheets or tarps just to find any comfort when sleeping out, almost all year long.
If it isn't where you live, then what are the issues ? If it's just cold, then look to the traditional clothing of the mountain folk and the herders. What did they wear ? can you copy that using what you can acquire locally, cheaply ?
Huge great wool coats are commonplace among such folks, but I don't know if your people use them or not, but if they would work, we can show you such really simple and effective patterns to make them from blankets or layers of fabric.
Cotton is miserable in our climate when it gets wet, if your's isn't sodden then cotton can be both warm and comfortable.

It really does depend quite crucially on your climate, on it's seasonality.

Scout groups here work to raise money for equipment. They do things like work in the big supermarkets packing bags for folks on a weekend afternoon, and folk put change into a collection bucket for them. They'll clean up gardens, they'll deliver Christmas post, they organise car wash events, they run jumble sales, car boot sales, or they sell stuff on commission.
It all adds up to useable funds; especially if you approach manufacturers and tell them what you're doing, how the boys are working to raise money, and ask if they might like to help with sponsorship. Sometimes they can, sometimes they offer a discount to Scout and other youth groups.

Lots of ideas, but you need to work for it; money's tight for an awful lot of people.

Best of luck with it

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Özel Kuvvetler]

Thanks Toddy.
It is really helpful post which improve my vision. In our territory, seasons especially winter and summer on its extreme points. We do need good cold weather gear.

I took this photo last year, the place is only 2 kilometers away from city center. In here weather is mostly cold even in summer nights
Folks use some special clothing made of leather and wool. It is too heavy

We are also trying to save some money by giving English lessons, working as a translator in conferences etc. I wonder whether, it could be a way of saving some more money or a pointless activity.